God had bigger plans for NU standout Ethan Piper

Ethan Piper never asked, “Why me, God?”

The former three-sport standout at Norfolk Catholic High School had been selected by the state’s two major daily newspapers as a two-time all-state offensive lineman.

Among the colleges in pursuit of his talent was Iowa, with its reputation for developing NFL-ready offensive linemen.

Piper chose to play for the in-state Cornhuskers, where he became just the 13th true freshman offensive lineman to ever start for the Nebraska football program.

His football journey, however, didn’t come up roses as Piper never enjoyed a winning season, played for three head coaches and had no bowl games to cap a season.

On Oct. 21, 2023, in his fifth and final year at Nebraska, the expected NFL draftee had his season – and career – come to an end when a serious knee injury sidelined him in the first half of NU’s 17-9 home win over Northwestern.

Knee shattered. Dream shattered.

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Many athletes would be filled with anger, but not Piper. Instead, he interpreted the injury as an opportunity to forge a new path in his life.

“I just came to terms with it very quickly,” Piper said. “Not saying it was easy, but I never really had that hateful ‘Oh, why me?’

“Football and athletics have always been the strong suit of mine, but actually, I was pretty happy for the fact that I thought it was a sign from God that He wanted me somewhere else.”

That somewhere ended up being in a classroom teaching science and coaching robotics at Columbus Lakeview junior and senior high schools.

Besides teaching, Piper remains active in athletics by assisting with the Lakeview varsity football squad, serving as head coach of the seventh-grade girls basketball team and coaching the 14U Lakeview baseball team. 

Father Dan Andrews, a former pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk, said Piper made a decision to follow Christ and has maintained that path into adulthood.

“When he got hurt, he already had something bigger and better that he was invested in – his relationship with God, serving others and always being able to lead in any situation,” said Father Andrews, who was at Sacred Heart during Piper’s grade school and high school years.

“I’m really proud of him and I know he’s just going to continue to have great influence on people and the world.”

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Piper was well prepared for life after football. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2024 with a degree in science education, amassing a 3.986 grade point average, with his only non-A being a B+ in Physics II in the fall of 2022.

He was a four-time selection to the Academic All-Big Ten team and three times named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

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Despite being well prepared for life after football, Piper still had to deal with the sadness of stepping away from a game he loved.

“Emotion-wise, I was really, really sad,” he said. “Not being able to play with those guys (teammates) ever again was the hardest thing for me.”

Reflecting on the injury, Piper has been clear God intervened in his life.

When he blew out his knee, a hand x-ray indicated he was playing with a broken hand. Doctors noted a bone was about to die, and “if I didn’t get that x-rayed, my hand would have never been the same. That was a God moment, too.”

It’s a lesson Piper said was crystal clear to him – he needed to follow God’s plan, not his own, and appreciate what is, not lament what isn’t.

“All the things we take for granted every single day, God taught me through all that just to be very appreciative of the things that we do have,” he said.

Piper’s belief in God’s intervention was not lost on his mother, Leisa, who shared her feelings in a Facebook post.

“Ethan’s tenure at UNL was filled with challenges, from COVID to three different head coaches, four surgeries and a career-ending injury … and yet he BELIEVED with every part of himself, that he had a purpose to fulfill – a legacy of his own to create amongst the rollercoaster of circumstances – and he was going to do it to the best of his ability,” she wrote.

“If there is one lesson he taught anyone who knew him, it is to believe in yourself, your dreams and that God has a plan for your life.  (John 10:10).”

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Piper has leaned on his faith for as long as he can remember. His parents, Les and Leisa, helped at Sacred Heart Parish’s JC Camp for the past 15 years. The camp at the Tintern Retreat Center in Oakdale, Nebraska, is for students to encounter Jesus before they are Confirmed the next year.

Through his own Confirmation, Piper began a relationship with his Confirmation namesake, St. John Vianney.

“He came from a farming community, very humble beginnings and eventually became a priest,” Piper said, noting the similarities of his family’s background. “When I’m going through this (or) I’m going through that, I lean on him anytime I have doubts or hardships.”

Through grade school, high school, college and now adulthood, Piper said every day is a day centered on his Catholic upbringing.

“Faith gives me purpose,” Piper said. “It’s easy to fight when you know the battle’s already been won.

“In a world that’s kind of all over the place when it comes to faith and purpose, my Catholic identity gives me the discipline throughout the day to do what I need to do.”

Father Andrews and Piper COURTESY PHOTO

One of the things Piper felt he was called to do during his days in Lincoln was reach out and befriend the homeless.

“I would just go up and talk to them. What I’ve really done is put (faith) to practice,” he said.

Piper said he didn’t go it alone as he leaned on the Blessed Mother every step of the way. He said he regularly prays the rosary and always takes one wherever he goes, carrying one in his jacket pocket and one in his car.

“Before I really did anything, I’d already said three Hail Marys,” he said. “That’s worked tremendously in the fact that it took away that anxiety and gave me such a confidence boost every single time I did things I normally wouldn’t.

“Mother Mary is phenomenal.”

Piper, along with Nebraska volleyball standout Rebekah Allick and others, will share their faith message with teens May 30 and 31 at Called by Name: A Heart of Jesus Revival at Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk.

Piper said it’s important young people follow their own path and not necessarily one society points them to follow.

“Getting kids to understand what you think people think is the cultural norm doesn’t have to be your norm,” he said. “You have a choice of how you want to live your life.

“My message is I think the world is pushing us to be mediocre or lukewarm. Take action in your faith, and not just saying it but actually applying it to your daily actions. Living through that faith is so important nowadays.”

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